Field of the invention
The invention relates to a modular printing machine system for printing on sheets, comprising a first printing machine of satellite construction type, with a central first impression cylinder and at least four printing devices assigned thereto, a second printing machine, and a coupling device for coupling the printing machines with one another for in-line operation thereof.
In the published German Patent Document DE 197 43 770 A1, there is described such a system, which includes a satellite printing-unit group as the first printing machine, an imprinting-unit group as the second printing machine, and a connecting element as a coupling device. The imprinting-unit group includes a first and a second printing form, with which various imprints can be added to the four-color images printed in the satellite printing-unit group. The printing forms are one-time imageable printing forms, i.e., whereon printing images may be applied only once, assignable to the master system, the printing image being storable but not eraseable, the production of the printing image requiring an expenditure of a given length of time of, for example, twelve minutes. Therefore, with the system described in this German patent document it is not possible for each sheet to be printed by the system in a print job to be given a different, individual imprint, for example for the purpose of addressing, personalization or numbering.
The prior state of the art is described further in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,108, and in the published German Patent Documents DE 43 03 797 A1 and DE 195 03 619 A1.
Advertising matter, for the production of which, printing machine systems of the foregoing general type are particularly well suited, often require such individual imprints, however, for example in order to address the addressee in the advertising matter personally.
In the published German Patent Document DE 197 04 003 A1 representing an even further state of the prior art, a description is given of a method for imprinting one of a multiplicity of individualizing identifications by a laser printer or ink jet printer in a sheet-fed printing machine.
The sheet-fed printing machine does not belong to a printing machine system with printing machines that are couplable together, and therefore cannot be used very variably.
In light of these inadequacies of the prior art, it is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a modular printing machine system for printing on sheets with which the sheets can be given individual imprints.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a modular printing machine system for printing on sheets, including a first printing machine of satellite construction type having a central first impression cylinder and at least four printing devices assigned thereto, a second printing machine, and a coupling device for coupling the printing machines to one another for in-line operation thereof, comprising a transport device of the printing machine system, for transporting the sheets, and a non-impact printer assigned to the transport device.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the transport device is constructed for transporting the sheets along a linear transport path.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the transport device has at least one tongs-type gripper lying on a side of a sheet held in the tongs-type gripper for printing thereon by the non-impact printer, the tongs-type gripper having an ultra-flat construction so that, when the sheet is being transported past the non-impact printer, the tongs-type gripper is guidable collision-free through a narrow gap formed
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the tongs-type gripper is less than 1.0 mm thick, more particularly, less than 0.5 mm thick.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the transport device is a transport belt.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the transport belt is a suction belt selected from the group consisting of suction belts formed of air-permeable material and of a material formed with air passages, respectively, the suction belt, in order to hold the sheet thereon, having a suction device assigned thereto for sucking the sheet against the suction belt.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the transport device is selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic linear drives and linear motors, respectively, and includes stators and at least one rotor, the rotor being constructed so as to carry the sheets, and the stators being disposed along a transport path of the sheets and being constructed to produce a traveling electromagnetic field for forwardly driving the rotor.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the transport device is constructed as a chain gripper formed of a chain and at least one gripper bar secured thereto.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the non-impact printer is a printer selected from the group consisting of ink jet printers and laser printers, respectively.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular printing machine system for printing on sheets, including a first printing machine having a sheet feeder and being of satellite construction type with a central first impression cylinder and at least four printing devices assigned thereto, a second printing machine including a sheet delivery and a second impression cylinder, and a coupling device for coupling the printing machines to one another for in-line operation thereof, the second printing machine comprising a second impression cylinder, the first and the second impression cylinders being of different sizes.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the modular printing machine system according to the other aspect of the invention comprises a transport device for transporting the sheets, and a non-impact printer assigned to the transport device.
In accordance with a concomitant aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular printing machine system for printing on sheets, comprising a first printing machine having a first impression cylinder, a second printing machine having a second impression cylinder, and a coupling device for coupling the first and the second printing machines to one another for in-line operation thereof, the first and the second impression cylinders being of different sizes.
Thus, the printing machine system according to the invention includes a transport device and a non-impact printer, which is arranged adjacent to the transport device. While the transport device transports the sheets past the non-impact printer, the latter can provide the sheets with individual imprinted motifs. For example, using the non-impact printer, each sheet of a print job, which includes many sheets successively passing through the printing machine system, can be provided with a different imprinted motif.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a modular printing machine system for printing on sheets, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: